Isn’t this cute? The two of them are even starting to look like each other!
Watch out, Peppermint. Someone new is after your man.
This is Toby’s new “girlfriend”. You may recall from Poopiter that my boy has a particular fondness for his toy peppermint. Now, though, there is a new lady in his life. This little gal doesn’t have a name yet, but I think she needs one. Any suggestions?
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Oh wait, yes I do!
I hope this picture looks decent. I am using new photo editing, and the colors seem off on my monitor.
The first time I heard that Mini Cooper commercial, I mistakenly heard the singer say “I got no boots!”. That prompted me to wonder if that was why she was driving all the time. Later the song was on the radio and heard that she was really saying “I got no roots” and realized that I am now officially an old person with bad hearing.
I now got new boots because thanks to my awful beasties I wore out the soles on my last pair. Thanks guys. I hope that you both realize that these are sh** kickers, and they can be used to “motivate” recalcitrant pups on walks! (JK)
If you get this one, you’re old!
Recently I was trying to make more room in a drawer when I came across this picture. I bet Bitey doesn’t know he has illustrated equine siblings out there!
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Phew! I am turning my head away from that smell.
It seems that every day there is another story on the news about bear sightings. At the close of each one, the helpful reporter reminds people not to leave food outdoors and to keep their trash cans secured.
Last year a new sanitation company put in a bid to take over services for our area. The municipality declared that all residents now must use this particular company. They provide recycling and trash collection for a good price, so it seemed like a win/win situation….except for holidays as it turns out.
For some reason, this company cannot keep to its schedule if there is a holiday. If they know they cannot pick up on trash day during a holiday week, you would think they would notify everyone of a policy of putting their cans out X number of days later. Instead we have tons of cans and trash bags sitting on the curb for four to five days until the collection company comes around. It was over 90 degrees last week. You can imagine how ripe that smell must be for animals with acute senses of smell.
In the mornings now, I am worried about walking my dogs. I don’t know if I am going to find a bear going through the trash or coyotes or raccoons or any one of a number of other dangerous animals.
Notice I didn’t name any names or call anyone out. I don’t want to find a horse’s head in my bed. However, if you run a sanitation company, please set a schedule and keep to it. It will keep everyone safer including your employees.
I have seen pictures of “cat thermometers” where the more the kitty is stretched out, the hotter the temperature. If you have a pup, the more absurd the sleeping position, the hotter it is. As you can see, we clearly were having unreasonably warm weather this day.
The mercury in the window thermometer reached over 120 in the sun. It is rare even in August for that to happen.
Aah, this is such a rare moment – Toby looking at the camera instead of away from it. I must have taken a dozen shots with my uncooperative little guy beating the shutter every time. I am thinking of starting a folder with just blurry, back of head shots.
Toby got shortchanged on baby pictures since things were so chaotic when he was young. (It is nearly impossible to take pictures when you have a puppy with a UTI.) I am trying to make up for that a little by getting some nice photos now.
June brings with it a variety of formal events. Make sure your young man is prepared to look his best with something from the Boys’ Shop at Needful Things of Salem. With these Navy and Copper Brocade Silk Suspenders your youngster will be ready to conquer any social occasion.
Today was Geordie’s first follow up visit after getting his C diagnoses a couple of months ago. He had a new vet this time because his long-time doctor recently left for an other practice.
The news the new doctor gave us was just what I had been hoping for. She said that despite the cancer, he is in excellent health! I was afraid it was wishful thinking on my part and that I was only seeing what I wanted to, but no, Geordie is strong and “healthy” and happy. She said that whatever we’ve been doing, keep it up. And, not to get our hopes up, but…if he keeps up the way that he is, Geordie could live one to two more years.
On top of the good news, today was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. It was perfect for lifting one’s spirits. I hope everyone reading this had something equally wonderful happen for them too.
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This year for Mother’s Day, my boys very thoughtfully got me a pretty, new set of sheets for the bed. As I opened the plastic to remove the sheets, I quickly had to set them down because of the itchy red rash I got from touching them. Not only did they cause redness and itching, but they had a very strong chemical odor to them.
Not sure of what was going on, I checked the packaging and saw that these were “wrinkle resistant” sheets. I Googled the term and found that what makes a fabric, in this case cotton, wrinkle resistant isn’t the way it is woven (as I had thought) but that the fibers are infused with formaldehyde to cause them to swell and not bend as easily.
I know that formaldehyde can be used in the sizing on fabrics to make them appear crisp when displayed, but I hadn’t known it was bonded to the fibers over something as unimportant as wrinkling. Formaldehyde can cause skin irritation, breathing difficulties and of course it is a carcinogen. Since formaldehyde is absorbed through the skin, every time you lie on treated sheets or wear wrinkle resistant clothing, you are exposing yourself to this poison. Sadly, there is no government regulation requiring disclosure for formaldehyde use.
A big concern should be our children and grandchildren being exposed this chemical. As a parent, I would not have given a second thought to the term “wrinkle resistant” on my child’s sheets – I would have chosen a print he/she would enjoy. I would be horrified to find that I had exposed someone I love to something so dangerous. And don’t forget our furkids. If your pup or kitty sleeps in the bed with you, they are also breathing and touching carcinogens.
Fortunately there are a number of companies who still sell regular cotton sheets at pretty reasonable prices. Cotton can be treated with a lot of pesticides as it is grown, so if this a concern look for organic sheets manufactured in the US. Organic regulations are more strictly enforced for domestic products than foreign ones.
So, if you are making a purchase of bedding or clothing, please be aware of what might be coming home with you uninvited.
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As you can see, my two are nothing if not cooperative when it comes to having their pictures taken. I just gave the two little monsters a very itchy pair of fur cuts, but neither of them would look at me so that I could capture their new do’s. Thanks guys. I’ll remember this next time.
Pick up a copy of A Tired Mommy Is a Good Mommy which deals with time B.T. (Before Toby).
Both are available from Amazon.
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Looking for a special gift? Hand painted handkerchiefs are not only thoughtful but eco-friendly. Show someone you love that you care about them as well as the planet!
This and many unique handmade gifts are available at my shop L Bowman Studios.
For some reason, my favorite pictures are the bad ones.
When Geordie got sick, a neighbor told us about Life Gold – Dog Cancer Support . Her dog had been diagnosed several months before and has been taking it ever since. At his latest check up, the vet said that the dog is doing great and to keep doing whatever it is the family has been doing.
I started Geordie on Life Gold as soon as I could have it delivered. At this point, I can’t testify to it altering the length of his life yet, but I feel confident in saying that it has significantly improved his quality of life.
Before his diagnosis, Geordie had been kind of laid back with lots of napping. The clue we had that something was wrong was that he would cough from time to time. Since giving him Life Gold, though, it is as if he is 5 years younger! He has taken up playing with toys again, and he even invites me to play chase with him. In the evenings, after Toby has gone to sleep, he drags his little brother out of bed and insists Toby play with him. This goes on every night! Plus, he barely coughs now.
I realize that Geordie’s cancer isn’t cured, but it is wonderful to see him living such a full and happy life. I wanted to share this in case someone reading has had a pet diagnosed with the dreaded “C” word. Life Gold isn’t expensive, and it might just help your dog to feel better and you both to be happier.
I forgot to mention one other thing I noticed about Geordie and Life Gold. Whenever he went for his chest X ray, the vet was a tiny bit concerned that he had lost 3/4 of a pound. For a while, he simply hadn’t been very interested in his food. After starting Life Gold, however, he developed a healthy appetite and has gained enough weight that he looks like a healthy terrier again.
Pick up a copy of A Tired Mommy Is a Good Mommy which tells of Bitey’s life before Toby.
Available from Amazon.
The Adventures of Bitey Dog 